GIS RECEPTION
TOCA members attending this year’s Golf Industry Show in Orlando are encouraged to visit the annual TOCA GIS Breakfast Reception. Join us Friday morning at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Salon 11, for a delicious continental breakfast, an update on TOCA topics and some otherwise scintillating conversation. The breakfast runs from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. We thank BASF and GCSAA for their support.

Call us at 952/758-6340 if you haven't RSVPd for the event or e-mail us at tocaassociation@aol.com. See you there.

NEW MEMBER BREAKFAST AT GIEE
More than 50 TOCA members attended the TOCA and Bayer Environmental Science New Member Breakfast Reception at the Green Industry & Equipment Expo in Louisville, KY, in late October. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) provided the room for TOCA for the breakfast reception.

TOCA members gather for breakfast, sponsored by Bayer Environmental Science and the
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)

TOCA mainstays Bill Klutho, left, Matt Broscious, right, and Steve and Suz Trusty (to the back of the camera), enjoy breakfast at GIEE in Louisville in October.

TOCA Executive Director Den Gardner, left, and Woodruff-Sweitzer’s Mike Joyce enjoy a moment
deep in discussion at the TOCA breakfast.

Jason Kuhlemeier of Bayer Environmental Science spoke to TOCA members at the GIEE TOCA Breakfast

TOCA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Perhaps you know of some deserving student currently pursuing a career in green industry communications. A niece or nephew? The kid down the block who used to mow your lawn but now studies marketing and landscape architecture at Ohio State? Maybe it’s your intern, the one answering your phone as you read this very sentence. How about nominating him or her for a TOCA scholarship?

The TOCA Board of Directors decided in May to award one $2,500, fall semester scholarship (2008-2009 academic year) to an undergraduate college student pursuing a career in green industry communications. To qualify, students must major or minor in technical communications or a green industry related field such as horticulture, plant sciences, botany, agronomy, plant pathology, etc. The applicant also must demonstrate an interest in using this course of study in the field of communications. Previously, TOCA awarded two, $1,000 scholarships.

Detailed information and applications are available at www.toca.org/awards.html. Deadline is March 1, 2008, but it’s never too soon to identify, encourage and reward deserving students outstanding in the field, or on the lawn.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2008

January 31 – February 2
2008 Golf Industry Show
Orlando, FL
TOCA Breakfast Reception – Friday, February 1
Rosen Centre – Salon 11
7:00 - 8:30 a.m.

March 1
Environmental Communicator of the Year application deadline

March 1
TOCA Scholarship application deadline

March 1
TOCA Communications Contest entries deadline

May 6 - 8
TOCA 18th Annual Meeting
Radisson Downtown
Minneapolis, MN

October 23 - 25
Green Industry & Equipment EXPO (GIE+EXPO)
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, KY

TOCA INTERNATIONAL CONTEST
TOCA will again conduct a program for international entrants in the 2008 TOCA Communications Contest. E-mails were sent in early January to international corporate folks and international turf publications to encourage participation. Interested parties will be directed to the TOCA Web site for more information. Entries must be in English and will compete only with other international entries, not in the general U.S. TOCA contest.

Last year’s First Place winners included Brett Robinson, Australian Turfgrass Management Magazine (Photography), Brett Robinson, Australian Turfgrass Management Magazine (Design) and Lee Ann Knudsen, Landscape Trades (Writing).

Entry fees will once again be waived for the 2008 contest, which is sponsored by Syngenta International Professional Products.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR
As always at this time of year, TOCA begins its search for the next Environmental Communicator of the Year. Nominations for the 2008 winner are now being accepted.  Presented each year at TOCA’s annual meeting, the award may be given to anyone in the Green Industry. The tenth annual award will be presented in May 2008 in Minneapolis. The award is sponsored by Project EverGreen.

Last year’s winner was Helen Stone, publisher of Southwest Trees & Turf and President of Stone Peak Services. Nominees for the ’08 award must be current TOCA members or be nominated by a current member.  The winner receives a $500 cash stipend. All applications must be postmarked by March 1, 2008.

If you’re interested in obtaining an application or receiving further information on the award, contact Den Gardner at TOCA. You can call the office at 952-758-6340 or e-mail TOCA at tocaassociation@aol.com. You can also find application forms on the TOCA Web site: www.toca.org/environcomm.html.  

MEMBER NEWS
TOCA welcomes the following new members:
Linda Frerichs, Arysta Life Sciences; Jennifer Schlosser, BFL Marketing Comm., Inc.; Nikki Hall, Dow Agro Sciences; Mary Arens, EPIC Creative; Allan Dennis & Kim Burton-Ogrodnik, Landscape Ontario; Nicole Slaydon, Novozymes Biologicals, Inc.; Mary Ellen Scheib, PBI/Gordon Corporation; Justin Wallace, Sod Solutions.
Welcome everyone!

TOCA AGENGA
                                                                                
19th TOCA Meeting – Minneapolis, MN. Radisson Plaza Hotel – 2008

Tuesday, May 6
2:00 p.m. – Board Meeting, followed by Board dinner at 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7
8:00 a.m. – Golf at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, MN
(Sponsored by Briggs & Stratton Yard Power Products Group) OR
9:00 a.m. – “Minneapolis: A River Runs Through It” Tour.
(Afternoon program sponsored by Jacobsen)
3:00 p.m. – Welcome: Ed Hiscock, Board President; Den Gardner, Exec. Director
3:15 p.m. – Chuck Zimmerman, owner, ZimmComm New Media LLC. Blogging and podcasting
                   for profit.  (Sponsored by Ewing Irrigation and PBI Gordon)
4:30 p.m. – Break (Sponsored by John Deere Landscapes)
5:00 p.m. – Editors/PR panel – Leading TOCA editors and PR pros talk about issues and working
                   relationships.
5:30 p.m. – Adjourn
6:00 p.m. – Opening Night Reception/Dinner – Radisson Plaza Hotel
                   (Sponsored by Syngenta, RISE, and TruGreen ChemLawn)

Thursday, May 8
(Morning meeting sponsored by John Deere)

8:00 a.m. – Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – Generational Issues – Steve Drake, owner, Drake & Company (Sponsored by
                   Swanson Russell Associates and Phoenix Environmental Care)
10:30 a.m. – BREAK (Sponsored by John Deere Landscapes)
10:45 a.m. to Noon – Generational Issues Panel of TOCA members
(Afternoon lunch and meeting sponsored by Toro)
12:00 p.m. – Lunch  
1:00 p.m. – Remarks by Board President Ed Hiscock
1:15 p.m. – Business Meeting

Election of board, scholarship winners announced, other appropriate business

2:15 p.m. – Environmental Communicator of the Year Award
2:30 p.m. – Break for Tour
3:00 p.m. – Educational Tour – Walker Sculpture Garden/Greenhouse Tour
                   (Tour sponsored by BASF)
6:00 p.m. -- Return to Radisson Hotel
7:00 p.m. – Syngenta Reception/Syngenta Awards Banquet – Radisson
9:30 p.m. – Dance – featuring Little Chicago and special TOCA guest performers  

Friday, May 9